Billie

I am enthralled with this. I'll have a hard time not wearing it all this winter instead of waiting for the warm humid weather when I start indulging my passion for Big White Florals. (Fracas being my sine qua non.) It's heavenly. Perhaps helped in my enthusiasm by my love for Billie Holiday, whom I discovered at the age of 16, long, long ago, by checking out a record at the library. On the cover, she wore her signature white flower, with a white evening dress that may have been halter backed. She was simply the bomb. That album's cover of "I Cover The Waterfront" remains my favorite version to this very day. She was aging, and her voice was showing the wear that her life had put on it, but not to any disadvantage, in my opinion. Rich and silky and rough at the same time, like worn velvet. This perfume, especially if I were wearing it and drinking a bourbon, which I am not, would be perfect while listening to that wonderful cut. Thank you, Harlem Perfume Co., and thank you, Ms. Holiday, for giving me this pleasure.

The only gardenia fragrance I actually like! Gardenia tends to give me migraines, even in the form of an essential oil- so I was pleasantly surprised by Billie. I will definitely be looking for a FS. Perfect for spring and summer. Edit: I now also adore Ave Maria by House of Bo. Another great gardiena perfume.

This is the ultimate clean/musk scent. It opens with white florals and aldehydes (although not listed) and dries down to a more muskier scent. I don't gravitate towards fragrances like this, so I'm surprised at how much I've enjoyed it. I have travel size and I'm thinking about getting a FS.

One of my favourite I just wish it was a little stronger. Very expensive to get outside of the US I spend 300$ + CAD when the perfume cost 140$ US. Non the less it’s a wonderful soft feminine and unique perfume.

I just got this in the mail today and I was struck by how much it instantly reminded me of Chanel no 5 eau de premiere or I should say a dupe. This is Chanel lite or faux Chanel. More neroli and ylang here than gardenia. This is very fresh and aldehydic instead of the musky white flower bomb I was expecting. There is almost a slight iris tonality here as well that is very surprising to me also a very lemony one. The musk is a subtle one, very clean and very dry. Billie also reminds me of another fragrance I own Lubins Princesses de Malibar kind of mixed up with some Epidor. But a lot more low key than those 2 which I own in FBS. The ylang in here with the dry cottony musk with a touch of vanilla and a creamy sandalwood. This is a pretty perfume but not one I would associate with Billie Holiday at all. It smells to cool and clean. I picture her wearing something much heavier, musky with a very heavy gardenia. Something less business like and more sultry, something more seductive and a bit sorrowful like her voice. This is a nice perfume but wearing and smelling it, it doesn't conjure images of her at all in my mind. Maybe she was known to wear #5, I don't know. I wonder what she wore. It would be interesting to find out. Anyway if you are a Chanel or Lubin girl you will like Billie but you may not need her in your collection. I just looked up online what Billie wore and it was Emaurade by Cody. Josephine gives off that vibe more than this fragrance. Billie makes a good office fragrance or a bedtime one. I will wear it for bed but it isn't something I would wear on a daily basis because I like something more noticeable. But I do like this for bedtime. Edit again: 10/12/24 wearing the last of my decant today and while this is a nice fragrance it is wayyyy to conservative to represent Billie Holiday. If you want to wear a gardenia perfume that conjures up the moody, melancholy, and seductive atmosphere of her haunting voice my recommendation is Bvlgari Splendida Jasmin Noir. Read Elena P review here. It is everything she says and she says it better than I can.

Light and soapy white floral, not heady at all. “Clean girl” scent. Light scent throw. Good for daily wear.

What I mostly pick up from this fragrance is gardenia (which makes sense for a fragrance named after Billie Holliday). It's lovely and soft...but mostly underwhelming, especially compared to others in the collection like Langston and Josephine. I tried to punch this up a bit pairing it with Nest Indian Jasmine Oil but it's still whisper soft. It's lovely before it disappears. But it disappears quickly. I'm glad I only had the sample from the discovery set and not a full bottle. I would have been unhappy had I spent money on a full bottle of this. I ended up wearing Billie to bed. Glad I got to sample but would not repurchase.

I love how this blooms on summer nights without becoming cloying, there's a pink peppercorn that I pick up on the spray that I don't mind but isn't listed on notes. But sadly this just disappears so fast on me, even on clothing. I especially like the fact that they didn't make the obvious choice to make this a gardenia bomb, it's really not a white floral overload at all. Much more balanced. I just wish it lasted longer, I'll use up my purse sized sample but not sure I want to invest in a full bottle. For that reason I give it a Like, not Love.

This is one of the “safest” fragrances I’ve tried recently, and I don’t mean it in a bad way. It’s hugely likable and entirely inoffensive. It reminds me of Vanilla Powder from Matiere Premiere without the performance or sharpness. Creamy slightly vanilla slightly musky slightly white floral, all blended together to a whipped ivory cloud. Good for bedtime and other moments when you might desire ease and comfort. Projection is very personal. Office safe. Not a “wow” for me. But “wow” isn’t always the vibe.

the notes listed made me think this would be a winner for me, but it’s just underwhelming with my skin chemistry. i gave it to a friend and it worked much better on her, the dry down wasn’t so dry and powdery and kept a little bit of the freshness from the opening. however, it still has a whispery, almost nonexistent sillage

Top: Lush Green Leaves, Neroli, Sparkling Bergamot, Orange Blossom Heart: Gardenia, Jasmine Petals, Frangipani, Ylang Ylang Base: Coconut Milk, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver, Creamy Musk

Very weak, slightly more floral version of L’Eau Papier.

Billie is a lovely, sweet summery floral perfume, and I love that it's an homage to Billie Holiday. This is totally inoffensive and even if someone does not like gardenia, coconut, orange blossom etc. I can't imagine Billie being off-putting in any way. I wish I got more gardenia as it's one of my favorite notes, but mostly I get a dewy orange blossom on a tropical backdrop. It's soft and pretty...perhaps a bit too soft, for me.

Billie fragrance notes, from the Harlem site: Top: Lush Green Leaves, Neroli, Sparkling Bergamot, Orange Blossom Middle: Gardenia, Jasmine Petals, Frangipani, Ylang Ylang Base: Coconut Milk, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver, Creamy Musk Sadly, I could barely smell this. Just a fresh burst when it was first sprayed. Then, almost nothing moments later.

This is the ultimate clean everyday scent. Soft with just enough sweetness, and the sillage minimal making it ideal for work/gym. Still testing longevity but just might take a plunge on a full bottle.

This is really elegant. Soft but alluring. I love the Billie Holidae inspiration. You can definitely imagine her smelling like this.